Lies
by WaningMoon
Summary: Phae is happy in Sunnydale, but when her grandmother dies, she has to go home to San Fransisco to live with her aunts. PG for future chapters. Chapter 11 up!
1. Early in the morning

Disclaimer: I only own Phaedra.  
  
A/N: The first few chapters happen in Sunnydale..  
  
"Phae, honey, wake up or you'll be late for school," said Charlotte Hunter, Phaedra Halliwell's grandmother, gently shaking her granddaughter.  
  
Phaedra stirred and opened her eyes. "Nana, do I have to?"  
  
Charlotte smiled, her eyes crinkling. "You know you do. Breakfast's going to be ready in half an hour, so you'd better be ready and down by then."  
  
Saying that, she left. Phae sat up slowly, shaking her black hair. "Why do I have to? I'm a witch, for heaven's sake," she grumbled, getting out of bed. She went into the bathroom.  
  
Exactly half an hour later, she re-emerged, wearing a light blue halter and black jeans. She ran a brush through her hair several times, grabbed her bag and went down. On her way down, Phae heard her grandmother cough, and knew that she was getting worse. Her brow furrowed in worry as she entered the kitchen.  
  
"Nana, are you taking your medication?" she asked.  
  
Charlotte smiled weakly. "Of course, honey. Don't you worry. I made waffles today."  
  
"Nana-"Phae started, but her grandmother took her shoulders and gently pushed her down into a chair, setting a plate of waffles in front of her granddaughter.  
  
Phae sighed, knowing it was no use. She took a bite of her waffles, thinking.  
  
Phaedra Jennifer Halliwell lived in Sunnydale, California, her father's birthplace. Her mother lived in San Francisco; at least, she thought she did. She'd never heard from Prue in her entire 17 years. She didn't know why her mother had sent her here, but Phae had a feeling it had something to do with her powers-telekinesis, telepathy, and the occasional empathy. Phae had black hair that fell slightly past her shoulders, green eyes and pale skin. No matter how much time she spent under the sun, the witch just couldn't seem to get a tan. She was friends with Dawn Summers, sister Buffy Summers, a.k.a. the Slayer, who in turn was best friends with a guy named Xander Harris and a Wiccan named Willow Rosenburg. Xander had an ex-demon for a girlfriend, Anya Emerson, while Willow was. . .very close with another Wiccan, Tara MaClay. Buffy had a Watcher, a Brit named Rupert Giles, whom they all called Giles. Anya and Giles worked at a magic shop, called, of course, The Magic Box. All in all, they were like a second family to her.  
  
Phae blinked as she took her last bite. "I'm sorry, what?"  
  
Charlotte sighed. "I was saying that your aunts sent you a letter."  
  
Phaedra took the envelope from her grandmother. "The ones in San Francisco?"  
  
"No, the ones in Texas."  
  
"Oh." She slipped the letter into her bag. "I'll read it later. Right now I gotta book, 'cause Dawn's gonna be pissed if I show up late. Again."  
  
Giving her grandmother a sheepish grin, Phae grabbed her bag and ran out the door, all the way to Sunnydale High.  
  
~*~  
  
Dawn sat on the school steps, glancing at her watch for the fifteenth time. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail with a black scrunchie and stood up as she saw Phae running. She smoothed her purple shirt.  
  
"How can you run in those?" Dawn asked, indicating Phae's stilettos. "Oh, and you're ten minutes late."  
  
Phae grinned. "Sorry. Practice makes perfect. Come on, let's go in before the bell rings."  
  
Together the two walked into the school and headed for their lockers, which were conveniently located next to each other. Simultaneously they opened their lockers and took out their books just as the bell rang.  
  
Closing the lockers, they looked at each other. "Another day of torture. Meet you here after school?" Phae asked.  
  
"Later," Dawn replied, and both headed to their separate classes. 


	2. French Pop Quiz

A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed! Clairebear21: Thanks, and I will update. See? I already have. *winkwink* SPASH Panther: Yeah, this is a Buffy/Charmed fic. Somebudee: Hey, this is just the beginning of a loooooooong story.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Later in the day, at about three o' clock, Phaedra met up with Dawn at their lockers. Phae didn't exactly look like herself, more like someone who'd just sat for a French pop quiz.  
  
"What's up?" Dawn asked.  
  
Phae scowled, saying, "Madame Robinette gave us a French pop quiz. And guess what? I hadn't studied and got all my phrases mixed up." She slammed her locker shut and leaned back against it.  
  
Dawn gave her a sympathetic smile. "Well, at least we're going to the Magic Box now. Will won't mind tutoring you."  
  
Phae brightened a little. "Yeah, I guess. Let's go before I die in this torture-house they call a school."  
  
Dawn laughed and slung her arm around her best friend. "Let's go."  
  
Together the two walked out of the school and made their way to the Magic Box, talking and laughing all the way.  
  
~*~  
  
The bell jingled as Dawn and Phaedra pushed open the door, walking in. Anya was at the counter as usual, Giles was with some customers, Willow and Tara were at the table studying (or maybe reading some witchcraft books), Xander was eating something with a book open on his lap and his feet on the table. Which left Buffy. Not seeing her anywhere in the shop, Phaedra assumed she was in training in the back room alone.  
  
The two girls sat down beside Willow and Tara. "Hey, guys!" they chorused.  
  
Willow, Tara and Xander smiled at them, followed by a "Hi" from all three.  
  
"How was school?" Will asked.  
  
Phae scowled again. "Madame Robinette gave us a stupid French pop quiz. And I flunked it. As usual."  
  
"How'd you know?" Xander asked, his voice a bit muffled because of the doughnut he was munching on.  
  
Phae wrinkled her nose. "Don't talk with your mouth full. Anyway. My French sucks, and besides, I didn't study so my phrases were all mixed up."  
  
"Need some help?" Tara asked.  
  
Phae grinned. "Brushing up on my powers."  
  
Willow rolled her eyes. "After you finish your homework."  
  
Phae wrinkled her nose again and started to protest, but Buffy came out of the back room, sweaty, her blonde hair plastered to the back of her neck.  
  
"Hey, girls. How was school?"  
  
This time Dawn answered before her best friend could open her mouth. "Great. Except for when we got the results for our History test."  
  
"D?" Buffy asked.  
  
Dawn nodded.  
  
"You guys got your results today?!" Phae asked in disbelief. "Mrs. Jeffreys had our papers, but she wouldn't-"  
  
"Phae!!!" Willow, Tara, Xander, Buffy, Dawn and even Anya chorused. The Halliwell girl could talk for ages.  
  
Phae grinned. "Sorry. Guess I got carried away, huh?"  
  
"Yes," Xander said.  
  
"So anyways, what are you guys doing? Any demons or something?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Nope. Just some stuff for school," Willow replied.  
  
"Same here," Tara said.  
  
"What about you? Are you really reading a book?" Dawn asked Xander in mock disbelief.  
  
"Brushing up on my demons," came the reply.  
  
Phae glanced at the clock. "Oh! I am so late. I promised Nana I'd be home by four and it's half-past. Could I have a ride, someone?" she begged.  
  
"Sorry," everyone chorused.  
  
Phae sighed and turned to Dawn. "You coming?"  
  
Dawn shook her head. "Nah. Maybe later."  
  
A/N: Like I said above, thanks to all those who reviewed. For those who didn't, please do! 


	3. Tears fall

A/N: I put up a new story coz my chapters were in the wrong places and I couldn't get them right. . .sad, isn't it?  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Phae ran home from the Magic Box, and finally reached home in about fifteen minutes, panting for breath. She burst into the house, beads of sweat trickling down her face.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Nana, I. . ." she trailed off, not seeing her grandmother anywhere. She frowned. "Nana? Nana, where are you?" she called.  
  
Not hearing a response, she dropped her bag to the floor and went around the house, all the while calling out her grandmother's name. In the end, she went to the kitchen. To her horror, she saw her grandmother on the floor, a knife beside her. Phaedra knelt down.  
  
"N-Nana?" she said nervously, gently prodding Charlotte. Nothing. She swallowed and felt for a pulse. She found none. The colour drained from her face.  
  
"Oh, god." She got up and ran to the phone. She punched in the numbers to the Magic Box, her hands shaking.  
  
"The Magic Box," came Anya's voice.  
  
"Anya, I need to speak to Giles, now," Phae said.  
  
"Phae? That you? Just a minute." Over the phone Phaedra could hear Anya calling for Buffy's Watcher. After what seemed like an eternity, Giles answered.  
  
"Giles, Nana's on the floor, a knife is beside her and I can't find a pulse. Something's wrong, Giles," she said, her words coming out in a rush.  
  
"You can't find a pulse?"  
  
"No. Giles, I'm scared."  
  
"Call for an ambulance. We'll be right there."  
  
Saying that, he hung up. Phae stared at the receiver and punched in the numbers for an ambulance. She explained the situation to the person on the other line in a shaky voice, and that person said she'd send an ambulance over right away.  
  
~*~  
  
Twenty minutes later, Phae, Giles and the rest of the Scoobies sat in the waiting area outside the operation theatre. Everyone was quiet, and deep down, Phae was scared.  
  
"You okay?" Dawn asked, coming over to sit beside her best friend.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Um, I'm fine," Phae replied, her voice shaking. She didn't want anything to happen to her grandmother. Dawn started talking about something, but Phae wasn't really concentrating.  
  
Time passed. About an hour later, a doctor came out of the Operation Theatre. Phae stood up.  
  
"Is she okay?" Giles asked before Phae could say anything.  
  
The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid she's had a stroke. We tried our best, but. . .I'm really sorry to say that we couldn't save her." He looked at Phaedra. "We tried our best. I'm sorry." With that, he left.  
  
There was a minute of silence, and everyone crowded around Phae, talking at the same time.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Honey, don't cry, it'll all work out."  
  
"Phae, you okay?"  
  
She nodded. "I-I'm fine," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "I just. . .excuse me."  
  
She turned and ran out of the hospital to Giles' car. She opened the door, got in and broke down, tears streaming down her face. 


	4. Being comforted by Spike?

Chapter 4

Phaedra sat in the front passenger seat of Giles' ancient Citroen. Her face was buried in her hands, her dark hair felling down the sides of her face, her shoulders shuddering with her silent sobs. She had lost her grandmother, someone so close to her. Phae felt like a part of her world, a part of her heart, had been torn away from her.

"Still crying, eh, pet?" asked an all-too-familiar voice.

Phae lowered her hands, brushing her hair back and wiping away the tears. "If you lost your g-grandmother, you'd b-be crying t-too, Spike," she said to the bleached blonde vampire, trying to steady her voice.

Spike put a comforting arm around her. "For your information, I killed my own mother." He continued even as Phae shot him an alarmed look, her eyes wide. "I know it's hard, luv, but you need to be strong and move on. Your grandmother would want that, wouldn't she?"

Phae looked down at her hands again as fresh tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She nodded her head. "Why is this happening to me? All these deaths... First my grandfather, then Dad, and now...and now...Nana." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "How am I supposed to get over this and move on?"

"You will, pet, you can and you will. And you won't be alone. You have Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara and Dawn. They'll help you." Spike glanced out the window across him. "I'd best be off now. Don't worry, you'll be okay. And if you tell anyone we had this conversation, I'll bite you."

Saying that, he left. Phae started to say something when she heard voices and, looking out the same window Spike had, she saw the rest of the Scoobies. She dried her eyes again and forced a smile on her face. Giles climbed into the seat beside her, Buffy and Dawn getting in behind. Xander was going to drop Willow, Tara and Anya off.

"How're you holding up?" Dawn asked, reaching over to give her best friend's shoulder a squeeze. "You could stay the night at our place."

Phae shook her head. "I'm good, thanks. I'll be okay at home. Really."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "We really wouldn't mind the company."

"I'll be okay," Phae insisted.

"Well, if you need anything," Giles started.

"I'll call," the young witch finished.

She stayed silent for the rest of the journey, half-listening as Giles, Buffy and Dawn talked about other things. Before she knew it, Giles pulled up at her house. She blinked, then got out of the car. As she was about to close the door, Giles stopped her.

"Are you _sure_ you'll be alright on your own? I mean, it's times like these when-"

Phae interrupted him with an impatient sigh. "Giles, I'm going to be okay. I'm a big girl. I can and know how to take care of myself, okay? Now goodnight." She slammed the car door shut, then turned and walked up the driveway to her front door, aware of the three pairs of eyes watching her form the car.

Phae let herself in the house and flicked on the lights, closing the door behind her. She paused, hearing Giles' car leave. Then she faced the house, and a sad sigh escaped her lips. Suddenly, the house seemed so big. So alone. She rubbed her arms, shivering.

She tried not to think about how empty the house was, not that... She shook her head, forcing the thought out. She went over to the couch and flopped down, turning on the TV. She found herself watching a soap opera, and just stared at the images on the screen, not really processing anything.

She had been staring at it for some time when she felt the other end of the couch sink in. Phae looked up, filled with a mixture of fear, surprise and a little hope. A man sat on the couch, white light clearing. He looked at the TV.

"Didn't think you watched soap operas, honey," the man said.

Phae gasped. It looked like...it sounded like...but it couldn't be. Her father was dead, had been dead for several years. Then why did it seem like he was sitting beside her, talking to her?


	5. Dad

**A/N: I know it's been a long time since I updated this story, so please forgive me! As a peace offering, I come with brownies for everyone!!**

**Chapter 5**

Phae stared in shock at the man sitting beside her, her mouth opening and closing, unable to make any sounds.

"You know, honey, you should really get some rest. You've got a really busy day ahead of you tomorrow," Andy Trudeau said, looking at his daughter.

Phae swallowed. "How…? I mean, you're…dead…so how can you be here? Wait. I'm dreaming. This is all a dream. I'm still asleep, this day hasn't happened and Nana should be coming to wake me up any moment. Yup, any moment now…" she said, partially to herself.

Andy laughed. "Actually, no, it isn't. I'm every bit as real as you are. Well, except for the whole 'being dead' part. Anyway, I came here for a reason." He reached out and turned Phae's face so she was looking at him before continuing. "I've been watching you for so long, and I have to say, I am proud of the way you've embraced your heritage.�3�™®

"You…you know?" Phae said, still in shock.

"Yes. Your mother was a witch too, though I didn't know that until I died and met her Whitelighter. He's also your uncle Leo. Prue would be proud that you found mentors in Willow and especially Tara."

"How do you know all this?" Phae asked.

"I told you, I've been watching you. Now why don't we get you up to your room so you can get some rest? Leo might drop by tomorrow, so be prepared."

He stood up and held out his hand. Phae took it and the two walked up the stairs together, Phae's heart pounding as she tried to process everything.

Phae felt as though she was five again as Andy tucked her into bed and sat down beside her, stroking her hair again and again like he used to before he died. _Died. Why is everyone dying and leaving me? Why am I still alive?_ The young witch's thoughts began to drift as her eyes closed, and before she knew it, she fell asleep.

* * *

Andy smiled sadly at his daughter as a shower of blue and white light signaled the entry of Leo. He put a hand on his shoulder, and Andy looked up. 

"So this is her?" Leo asked softly. Andy nodded. "Somehow, I'm getting the feeling that she's going to be quite a handful for Piper, Phoebe and Paige."

"Are you going to tell her Prue's dead?" Andy asked.

Leo shook his head, looking at the sleeping witch. A look of pain crossed her face, and she whimpered softly. Andy stroked her head again, whispering softly, and her whimpering stopped. The look left her face as though it had never been there. "We'll let them tell her," he said, referring to her aunts.

"Are you sure it's safe for her there? I mean, they are constantly being hunted by demons, and I really don't think she'll be able to cope with that," Andy said, concern apparent in his voice as he stood up.

Leo smiled. "Hey, there may be a whole bunch of demons after them, but Piper and Phoebe are raising kids of their own. What's one more?"

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, so I'm sorry for that. Didn't know what else to write. Help yourself to brownies on the way to hitting the 'Submit Review' button!**


	6. That Sinking Feeling

**A/N: This chapter will be longer, and due to the fact that I got complaints about my food (grumbles), I will no longer be giving out free cookies and brownies and such to bribe you guys to review. Oops. Did I say that? Anyway, this story takes place in the future of Charmed, yet somehow, I am making it in the sixth season of Buffy. Don't ask me how, I just know that's kinda like how I'm doing it.**

**Padme the 2nd: Well, as you can probably see, no more brownies. Happy? I'm not…Anyway, nonsensical ranting about brownies and foodstuff aside, thanks, and as you can see, I will and have kept on writing!**

**Allen Pitt: Well, the Charmed Ones do not exactly know about her just yet, but they might, in this chapter. Prue died quite a number of years ago in this story, meaning that it's set somewhere in the near future. They do not know about Slayers, and about Tara and Willow's Whitelighter, I've got a little surprise coming up. See if you guys can guess who it's gonna be.**

**Chapter 6**

"Ssh, she's probably sleeping. We really shouldn't wake her."

"Did we have to come so early?"

"Yes. Xander, don't slam the-"

That was followed by the slamming of a door. Phae stirred, listening to all the activity going on downstairs. What and who in their right minds would want to wake her up at – Phae turned to check the time – 7 in the morning?

Too lazy to walk down, she astral projected herself to the stairs, and saw Dawn, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Willow, Xander, and finally Giles making their way into the kitchen. She returned to her body and got out of bed, heading into the bathroom, grabbing some clothes along the way.

Fifteen minutes later, she came down to the kitchen to the smell of pancakes and to the sight of everyone, with the exception of Tara, sitting at the table, talking among mouthfuls of pancake.

"Okay, you guys had better have a reason to be here and wake me up at seven in the morning," Phae demanded, sitting down at the table and helping herself to Tara's 'famous' pancakes.

"Morning!" everyone chirped.

"We didn't expect you to be awake so early. We were planning to do a little cleaning and arranging of Nana's funeral and…" Willow trailed off, looking at the others for support.

"You see, we thought you'd be a little shaken," Dawn started, then realized what she was saying and looked at Giles, a pleading look in her eyes.

Giles sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing his temples as though he had a headache. "Well, Phaedra, basically, what Dawn and Willow are trying to say is that we thought we'd come over and help you get everything organized and sorted out and settled, like your bills, for instance, and like Willow mentioned, cleaning up the house a little and taking care of the arrangements to your grandmother's funeral."

"Oh. Why didn't you say so then?" Phae asked, pretending not to notice the slip-up her best friend made. Sure, she was shaken, but this witch wasn't about to let the whole world know how she was feeling.

"Well, we tried, but it seemed to come out wrong," Buffy quipped. She finished her breakfast and stood up, taking the plate to the sink. "Let me handle your bills and stuff. I'm not much of a cleaner."

"I'll work with you," Anya said, smiling as though happy to be around something concerning money. "Xander?" she asked, looking at her fiancé.

"Yeah, why not. It's not like I want to clean up or arrange a funeral or anything."

"Willow and I will do the cleaning," Tara said.

"And I will take care of the preparations for your grandmother's funeral," Giles added.

"What about me and Phae?" Dawn asked.

Everyone looked at each other. "You guys just chill out, do homework or something," Buffy said.

Phae nodded, thinking about last night. She waited until everyone had left the kitchen, going in separate directions, before she interrupted Dawn.

"Dawn, listen, the weirdest thing happened to me last night."

"Weird as in, how? Demon-y weird?" Dawn asked, leaning forward a little.

"No, as in 'visit from dead person weird'."

"Well, Spike's dead, so he visited you?" Dawn replied, frowning.

Phae rolled her eyes. "No! It was my dad. He was surrounded by this white light, and I thought he would be all…transparent…and untouchable and stuff…but he was real, Dawn! He touched me, and I couldn't see through him and…and…"

"Okay, I think I get it. You got a visit from your dad, who's dead, and he was real and all. Whoa. What did he say?"

"He…he said that…" Phae racked her brains, trying to remember what her father had said to her. That was kinda hard, since she had been in a state of shock when he was talking to her. "He said that I should get some rest because I had a really busy day ahead of me, and that my mom was a witch, and that she would be proud that I found mentors in Will and Tara and he's been watching me."

Dawn stared at her. "Wow. You have got to be kidding me. Is he like, psychic or something? How did he know we were coming? Even I didn't know until Giles drove us home after leaving you here."

The two girls sat in silence, looking at each other. Then Dawn broke the silence.

"Are you gonna tell anyone else?"

Phae hesitated, then shook her head. "Maybe not now. Let's go outside and see what the others are doing," she said, standing up.

Dawn followed her outside, to the living room, where they watched everyone and sometimes helped out in the cleaning. The cleaning was kinda fun, considering that it was a total bore when you did it alone.

* * *

"Phaedra Trudeau?" the homeroom teacher called. 

Phae, lost in her own thoughts, didn't hear her. She sometimes forgot that her surname was Trudeau, since she had decided to adopt her mother's surname, mainly because it sounded more magical than Trudeau.

It had been a week since the day she had been woken up at seven, and Phae pondered over her father's words. She had the strangest feeling something was going to happen today.

"PHAEDRA TRUDEAU!" the teacher practically screamed. Phae blinked, looking up at her.

"Here," she said, before going back to her thoughts. She knew something was going to happen. There was a heavy feeling in her heart, and she knew she didn't want to know what it was.

* * *

Later that day, once school was out, Phae headed straight home, like she had done for the past week. She hadn't really felt like being around people much lately. 

She rummaged around her bag for her keys, then realized she had left them inside. She gave an exasperated sigh, then glanced around to make sure no one was watching. When she was sure no one was, she concentrated on the lock, smiling as she heard it 'click' after a moment. She let herself in and closed the door, heading straight up for her room, where she dumped her bag on the bed and went back down, heading for the kitchen to make herself a snack. What she saw wasn't an empty kitchen, though.

She screamed. "Who the hell are you and how the hell did you get in here?!" she asked the man sitting at the table. He had blondish-brown hair and blue eyes, and somehow it seemed as though Phae knew him.

_This is it,_ she realized. _This is the something that was going to happen_.

"I'm Leo Wyatt, your uncle. And I orbed here," the man - Leo - said.

"You WHAT?!"

"Orbed," the man said patiently. "Like this." He stood up, and was swallowed by the same white and blue light that had been there when her father came to see her. The lights cleared, and the man was gone.

"Great. There's one problem gone," she muttered.

"Actually," came a voice from behind her. Phae yelped and turned to see Leo standing there.

"How can you be my uncle?" she asked. "And will you please stop startling me? I'm still waiting for my heartbeat to return to its original speed."

Leo grinned and walked over to the table, sitting down where he had been before he orbed. He gestured to the chair opposite him, indicating that Phae join him. She did, and he started to talk.

"I'm your uncle, married to one of your San Francisco aunts. They're all witches, and I'm their Whitelighter."

"Wait, what?"

"Whitelighter. Like guardian angels. Every witch has one."

"So how come I don't? And Willow and Tara don't either?"

"Actually, I'm your Whitelighter as well. And Willow and Tara _do_ have their own Whitelighter, only he's chosen not to let them know."

"You can do that?"

"Well, you shouldn't, but at least he's there. Anyway, I came here to tell you that it's time for you to leave. Now that you've got no one in Sunnydale, you need to go to San Francisco, where your aunts can protect you."

"Okay, you cannot just come to my house and ask me to get out. This is _my_ house! And what about my aunts in Texas? Why can't they protect me?!" Phae asked incredulously.

"How do you think they'll react when they find out that you're a witch?" Leo replied calmly. Phae seethed. His calm demeanor was really starting to piss her off. He went on to explain how she would be better off in San Francisco, and how her aunts had kids of their own. By the time he was done, it was late in the evening.

"They don't even know that I exist," Phae grumbled.

"There's a reason for that. Prue didn't want them to know she had a daughter. A daughter who's grown up to be a bright, beautiful witch," Leo said, smiling at her.

Phae glared at him. "Why?" she demanded.

"I can't tell you that, not because I don't want to, but because I don't know why."

They were silent for a moment, where Phae drew patterns on the table with her finger and Leo watched her.

"Why do I have to go?" Phae asked softly.

"Didn't we go over this?" Leo replied, but though ordinarily people would say that sounding angry and all, he sounded patient and understanding.

She buried her face in her hands. "But I've got the whole Scooby gang here. I mean, I've got Buffy and Dawn and Xander and Anya and Giles and Willow and Tara and…and why do I have to go?" Her voice started to crack, and Leo reached out to rub her back.

"Because you'll be safer there. You're the daughter of one of the most powerful witches. You're the daughter of a Charmed One. Haven't you wondered why there're so many demons here, more when you're out patrolling with Buffy and the rest?"

"It's because Sunnydale is located at the Hellmouth, duh!" Phae said, raising her head to look at him.

"Well, there is that, I suppose, but it's also because of your powers."

Before he could continue, Phae stood up.

"You know what? I could listen to you talk all night, but I won't. Instead, I am going to bed and tomorrow I am going to go over to the Magic Box and there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT I AM MOVING TO SAN FRANSISCO!" she screamed.

She ran up to her room and slammed the door, burying her face in her pillow and sobbing into it.

Leo stared after her for a moment, then he orbed out.

**A/N: Well? What do you think? This has been my longest chapter yet, and I'm proud of it. No brownies and such today, so please just review. Um, Padme the 2nd? Would it be alright if I gave out glowsticks? Lol…just kidding. Please review okay?**


	7. News to the aunts

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Gomay: Yeah, it is really hard for her.**

**Juzblue: It won't exactly be a crossover after she leaves, but I might include them in some further chapters.**

**PadFootCc: Yeah, poor Phae…it's really sad, and I really liked that chapter.**

**Charmed-Angel14: I like glowsticks too. I had one, but it wouldn't light up… I like Phae's name too, but someone commented that it was too common. Oh well…**

**Allen Pitt: Well, the Charmed Ones wouldn't exactly come and ask her themselves because they wouldn't exactly know that she existed. Leo said in the previous chapter that her aunts didn't exactly know she existed because Prue didn't want them to. But I might use your idea in this chapter. Thanks!**

**Charmed Lassie: Well, to see how the sisters react, all you've gotta do is read on!**

**This chapter might be a little longer too, I'm not very sure. And I will be hinting at who Tara and Willow's Whitelighter is, so try and guess! Glowsticks for whoever guesses correctly!**

**Chapter 7**

With her face buried in her pillow, Phae let all her emotions out in a scream. How could Leo just barge into her house like that and tell her that she had to leave? Why did she have to go live with her aunts who didn't even know she existed? Nothing made any sense, and the answers to the questions lay unanswered as more questions drifted through her mind.

_What if Mom is dead? What if they don't want me? And if they do want me to live with them, then why didn't Leo tell them about me so they could come here and ask me that themselves? Why can't I stay here? I mean, I as good as have a family here. Giles, and Tara, and Willow, and Buffy, and Xander, and Anya and Dawn…they're like my second family. Why can't I stay here, with them?_

Soon, those thoughts began to drift away as she slowly fell asleep.

_**

* * *

San Francisco**_

Piper walked into the Halliwell manor the next day at around eleven in the morning, a smirking, 13-year-old Wyatt at her side.

Phoebe and Paige were plonked down on the couch, Chris and Phoebe's daughter Paris curled at their feet. Chris was 12, and Paris, 10. Phoebe's other daughter, 2-year-old Phyliss, was sitting on the couch between her mother and her aunt.

Phoebe's office was closed today, and Paige had decided to take some time off from her duties as principal of the Magic School to spend time with her two sisters, and their kids, only to find that Piper and Wyatt had gone to the orthodontist to get Wyatt's braces removed. So until they came back, Phoebe, Paige, Chris, Paris and Phyliss had spent the entire morning snacking on Pop-Tarts and Twinkies and watching Saturday morning cartoons. Phoebe and Paige both agreed that they had never been this relaxed in ages.

They looked up as both mother and daughter entered and took seats on the chairs around the coffee table.

"Hey, Wyatt," Paige said brightly. "Aren't you gonna give your aunt Paige a hug?" she asked, holding her arms out.

"Yeah, um, hi," Wyatt replied, looking away as he sat in the recliner, and not giving Paige a hug like he always did.

"So, Paige, how's the school going?" Piper asked, sitting beside her youngest sister.

"Oh, you know, the usual. I'm thinking of getting Phoebe to become a counselor, we've been having so much trouble with the kids."

"What kind of trouble? And why didn't you mention this earlier?" Phoebe asked, glancing at Paige, who gave her a sheepish look.

"Sorry. Mainly vandalism. Serious vandalism," she said, and she started to say something else when Leo orbed in with a dazzling display of bright lights. "Hi, Leo."

"Hey, Paige," he said, smiling at her before sitting on the arm of the recliner Wyatt sat in.

"Ssh!" Chris said, not taking his eyes away from the TV. "Bugs Bunny is talking."

"I don't like Bugs. He's so annoying, and what's with the whole, 'What's up Doc?' thing?" Paris commented.

"Yeah, he is kinda annoying, isn't he? Kinda like you, Chris," Wyatt joked.

"Hey, knock it off, Wyatt," Piper warned.

"Sorry, Mom," Wyatt grinned, showing off his now perfectly straight pearly whites.

Leo motioned for the three sisters to follow him into the kitchen.

"What's wrong, honey?" Piper asked once they were all there, glancing out into the living room to find Chris and Paris scrambling for the couch.

Leo took a deep breath. "Okay, going straight to the point, Prue had a daughter, she's living in Sunnydale, her name is Phaedra, she's a witch, she was living with her grandmother and now she passed away so she has to come live with you guys."

All three stared at him. "Could you repeat that, a little slower this time?" Phoebe asked.

Leo sighed. "Seventeen years ago, Prue had a daughter, her name's Phaedra. She's living in Sunnydale, and her grandmother passed away a week or so ago, and now she has to live with you."

"Doesn't she have anybody else?" Piper asked. "We've already got a house full of kids, and I don't know how they'll react to her."

"Well, she does have a couple of aunts in Texas, but I don't think they'll be too keen on looking after a witch."

"So…what do you want us to do?" Paige asked/

"Wait," Phoebe interrupted. "Why didn't Prue tell us she had a daughter?"

"I don't know. All I know is that she cast a spell to make you guys forget," her brother-in-law replied. "I was thinking maybe you guys could go over there and talk to her, see if you can get her to come here. I tried, and I didn't get anywhere."

"You wouldn't," Piper muttered. _I mean, how can he when he's barely there for his kids?_ She thought.

Phoebe heard that, and glanced at her, surprised, but Piper waved her off.

"So when are we going?" Paige asked, not sounding too enthusiastic about it.

"As soon as you guys can."

"Well, now is not possible because we," she put her arm around her two sisters, "have a day that we want to spend together. So maybe later, like in the afternoon or something."

Leo sighed again and started to say something, but Paige stopped him. "Phoebe's right. I finally gave myself the weekend off, and I want to enjoy this morning because I have never been so relaxed. So stress me out later."

With that, the three sisters, the Charmed Ones, went out, leaving Leo there looking after them as though he still had something to say. Which, technically, he had.

_**

* * *

Sunnydale**_

Phae sat in the kitchen again, thinking about the previous night. She absently stirred her cereal, not feeling too hungry.

Then she stood up and, leaving her cereal untouched, she grabbed her jacket and the house keys and left for the Magic Box.

Half an hour later, she sat behind the counter with Anya, recounting the incident to everyone present. Which happened to be everyone, and a small part of Phae wondered why everyone was up so early on a Saturday morning.

"So how come we don't have Whitelighters?" Willow asked, glancing up from her book to look at Phae.

The young witch shrugged. "Leo said that he or she didn't want to let you guys know who he or she is. Or was. Whatever. But I think that person would have to be dead."

All heads turned to Buffy, who raised her hands. "Hey, don't look at me. This Slayer isn't _anyone's_ Whitelighter."

None of them noticed Giles looking very uncomfortable as he pulled at the collar of his shirt as though it was choking him.

"What did you say your uncle's name was, Phae?" he asked.

"Leo Wyatt," she said, turning to the former Watcher. "Why?"

A small smile played at the corner's of his mouth. "I think I know him. We've met a few times."

Phae's eyebrows rose. "He's been dead for God knows how many years."

The smile faded. "Yes, well… Anya, we really must get to work on the inventory," he said, looking at the ex-demon, changing the subject.

"Can't we do that another time?" Anya whined. "I'm enjoying standing watch over my money."

Phae snickered, rolling her eyes, just as blue and white light filled the room. She frowned, looking at the figure that had materialized before them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Leo stonily.

Leo ignored her, and his eyes searched the room, landing finally on Giles. "We need to talk," he said.

Phae narrowed her eyes, trying to break into his mind, but there seemed to be a barrier of some sort that she couldn't penetrate.

Giles nodded curtly. "Follow me," he said, leading the way to the back room where he usually trained with Buffy.

When the two men were gone, Xander spoke up. "Okay, first of all, did anyone else think that was weird?" There were nods all round. "Secondly, who was that guy?"

"That," Phae replied, "was my uncle. The dead uncle."

She glanced at Dawn, who was looking at her intently. It was easy for Phae to break into her best friend's mind sometimes, mostly when Dawn allowed it, and now was one of those times.

_Was that how your dad came to you?_ Dawn asked.

_Yup, that was it,_ Phae replied telepathically.

**A/N: Well, that was it. Any ideas on who might be Tara and Willow's Whitelighter yet? Anyway, read and review okay?**


	8. Meet the Aunts

**A/N: Well, as most of you have guessed, Giles is their Whitelighter. Some of my friends said that it wasn't a good idea but I went ahead with it anyway because it would be easier for him to keep watch over them. Also partly because I can be really stubborn. Hehehe… Anyway, thanks for the reviews; I can see that this story is getting more popular now…Hehehe again. Just to correct myself, this takes place in Season 7, but Tara was not shot and Willow didn't go all evil and veiny and all.**

**PiPeRAnGeL39: No, sorry, it's not Andy.**

**Gomay: Phae has powers similar to her mother's, i.e. telekinesis and astral projection, a little empathy and I threw in telepathy as well.**

**Kat Hawkins: Thanks! More here!**

**Allen Pitt: Gosh, long review! But thanks. And yeah, I guess Giles really did get killed by the Bringer. The reason Giles didn't heal Buffy is because, well, like you said, Slayers can heal themselves, and also he didn't really want to blow his "secret identity". Well, I do like Leo, but after the sixth season and finding out about the way he treated Chris, I'm not so sure. But if I'm being a little biased or something, then I'm really sorry and I will try my best not to do that.**

**Juzblue: I think I might explain how they met, or then again I might not, it depends on what my fingers type actually. ;-) No, it wasn't just you, I have to admit the last chapter was kind of short. Longer chapter I hope!**

**On with the story! And no treats or cookies whatsoever today.**

**Chapter 8**

_**Back room of Magic Box**_

Giles nodded as Leo finished telling him about Phae, a slight frown on his face. "So what you're saying is, she has to go to Sunnydale. But why can't she stay here? I wouldn't mind having another witch to look after. Plus she really is a big help here."

Leo sighed mentally. "I haven't really told anyone yet, but the demon that killed Andy…"

"What about it?" Giles asked cautiously, not very sure if he wanted to know.

"I think he might be after Phae."

Instant worry creased Giles' fatherly face. "Wasn't he vanquished?"

"The Elders think he might not have been completely vanquished. They say his body was vanquished, but not his essence. Well, not fully, anyway."

"How can they be so sure?"

Leo gestured to the newspaper. "Haven't you noticed that there's been a rash of murders that match the way the demon used to kill?"

Giles walked over and picked up the newspaper, scanning the pages as he flipped through. "Haven't been reading the paper much, lately."

"So you see, the reason I _need_ Phae in San Francisco, is so that her aunts can keep an eye on her, protect her from the demon, that sort of stuff."

Giles turned back to his mentor Whitelighter. "What about Buffy?"

Leo shook his head. "Not strong enough."

"Willow?"

Leo was a little uneasy. "Not too sure about her. I mean, what if…?"

Giles nodded, knowing fully what Leo meant. _'What if she went evil again?'_

"Phaedra isn't going to listen to me, because she probably hates me, so I need you to talk to her, try and make her realize that she's better off with her aunts."

The ex-Watcher sighed. "Remind me again why I'm supposed to do it again."

"Because you're like their father figure, and they'll probably listen to you, especially Phae," Leo answered.

Giles nodded. "I'll try my best."

Leo nodded once, then orbed out, going to who knew where.

Giles sighed, and walked out of the back room, unsure if he wanted to do this but knowing that he didn't have much of a choice.

_**Magic Box, main part**_

Phae sat behind the counter, fiddling with the hem of her forest green top. All around her, people were talking, having their own private conversations. Willow and Tara were helping Dawn with her homework, which Phae had already done the night before due to the lack of things to do. Even Anya wasn't at the counter, though one could hear her and Xander bickering from the other side of the room.

She looked up as Giles came out of the back room alone, wiping his glasses. _That's not good, it can never mean anything good,_ Phae thought as she watched him head over to the counter.

_He wants to talk to me, though I can't figure out what. He's blocking me. _She frowned, trying to decipher him without mind-reading. _Since he was in there with Dead Uncle, he probably wants to talk to me about...moving?_

Giles had reached the counter by then, and sat down beside her. "Not joining in the mindless chit-chat?" he asked, smiling slightly.

Phae returned the smile with one of her own, shaking her head. "Nah. Too much talking. Gives me bad headache."

The smile on his face was more genuine now, and also more amused, then he turned serious. "Phaedra," he started.

_Oh, no! He called me Phaedra. No one calls me Phaedra. Except when they're angry or something. Oh. No._

"Your uncle was talking to me, and he told me that you are to live with your aunts in San Francisco, am I right?"

"Um, no?" Phae tried, hoping that he would tell her that she had to stay here, that she couldn't go because…because they needed her help here. Or maybe because she had to finish high school, and maybe move on to UC Sunnydale.

She shrank back at the look Giles gave her. "Phae, I understand your reluctance to go, but you have to understand us. It's for your own good."

"What do you know about my own good!" she exclaimed, wondering how it was possible that Dead Uncle had talked Giles into it.

"Calm down, Phaedra," Giles started, but Phae cut in.

"Why is everyone so hell bent on getting me to leave Sunnydale!" Phae said, although by that time she had captured everyone's attention. "Don't you people get it that I am perfectly happy here and that I do not wan to have anything to do with aunts who forgot that I existed and thus left me alone for SEVENTEEN YEARS!"

Silence.

"You're…you're leaving?" Dawn's disbelieving voice broke the silence.

No one answered her, probably because the only people who could answer her were having a little argument among themselves.

"I am not leaving," Phae finally said. "There is no way anyone-"

She was cut off by more swirling lights. She turned to face the intruder, and was surprised to find not one, but three people. Three ladies, all looking a little similar.

"Hi…which one of you is Phaedra?" the one with long brown hair said, warmth reflected in her brown eyes.

"Why do you care?" Phae asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Because we're your aunts," said another one with shoulder-length black hair.


	9. No Way

**A/N: Because I was so excited to carry on the story, here's the next chapter. Sorry it's taken me forever to post it… Thanks to those who reviewed, not gonna mention names or give individual thanks or whatsoever because I want to go straight to the story so I'm not going to waste any more time with this note.**

**Chapter 9**

Phae stared at them. "Bite me."

Giles frowned. "Phae," he said sternly.

She glared at him. "If you're my aunts, how come you didn't recognize me?" she challenged.

"Because we haven't seen you for ages, sweetie," said the third one.

Phae snorted. "Since, oh, I don't know, the DAY I WAS BORN?"

The first one to speak winced. "I'm Piper, and this is Paige and Phoebe," she said, gesturing to the respective aunts.

Phae rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What're you doing here, anyway? And where's my mother?"

Sadness seemed to come into Phoebe's eyes. "Well, sweetie…" she started. "Your mother's…"

"In Thailand," Piper finished.

Phoebe and Paige's heads whipped around to look at her while Giles frowned. If he knew correctly, Prue Halliwell was dead. And had been dead for quite a number of years now.

Phae raised an eyebrow. "What the heck is she doing there?"

"Well, as you know, she's a journalist." Piper began with the explanation.

"Um, reality check here. I have no idea who you guys are, so how the heck am I supposed to know that Prue's a journalist?" Phae interrupted.

"Sorry. Anyway, she's a journalist for 415, a magazine, and she's been there for years now, doing…" She trailed off, not knowing how to end. Paige jumped in.

"Research work. Or at least, she was. Then she got so fond of it that she moved there!"

"Um, could you excuse us a moment?" Phoebe asked.

Phae shrugged. "What's a moment when I've waited my whole life?" she muttered.

A swirl of lights enveloped the teenage witch's aunts, and they orbed out and into the alley behind the Magic Box.

"Okay, first of all, Piper. Why did you lie to her?" Phoebe asked. "And secondly, Paige, Prue would never move to Thailand. She hates Thai food even, so how the heck is she going to survive there?"

"Phaedra doesn't know that, does she?" Paige said, raising an eyebrow.

"She's already lost her grandmother, Phoebe. She raised her. How do you think she'll feel when she finds out that her mother's dead?" Piper put in.

"Telling her the truth is better than lying to her! I mean, the truth will out, Piper, sooner or later. Isn't it better if we tell her now than when she finds out herself later?" Phoebe protested.

"Well it's too late now, isn't it? _Someone_ had to go and _lie_ to our newfound niece!" Paige said, sending an accusatory glance at Piper.

The oldest sister rolled her eyes. "Look, what's done is done, okay? We can't do anything about that now can we? I can just imagine it. 'Phaedra, sweetie, we lied to you. Your mother's _dead_.'"

"Oh, well, sure, when you put it _that_ way!" Paige shot back.

Phoebe closed her eyes briefly. Why did she think that her two sisters were past the bickering stage? "Guys? Can we please not do this? We have bigger issues to worry about. Like how to _not_ tell Phaedra the truth."

Both Piper and Paige sighed together. "You're right. And Piper, you're right too," Paige said, earning herself a surprised look from Piper. "Since we already told her that Prue's in Thailand, I guess…I guess we're just gonna have to…go with the flow."

There was a somewhat stunned silence from Piper. "Well, then, shall we go persuade our niece to move to San Francisco with us?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Paige smiled and took her sisters' arms, then orbed them back into the Magic Box.

_**While the sisters were conversing...**_

Phae whirled around to face Giles. "I can't sense them. Why can't I read them? They're hiding something from me, I know it. Why can I not sense them?" she demanded.

Giles looked uncomfortable. "Well, a few years back the sisters took a potion to block Phoebe's empathy. I suppose it's working on you as well." He left the sentence hanging.

"But?" Phae prompted.

"But nothing," the ex-Watcher-turned-Whitelighter said.

She narrowed her eyes. "You know, don't you? You know what they're hiding." Her eyes bore into his as she pried her way to his mind, only to find it blocked. She gave a frustrated growl.

"Um, Phae, I'm pretty sure it's nothing," Tara, ever the mediator, said, in a way saving Giles.

Phae frowned and turned to look at her mentor. "What Giles said wasn't a nothing nothing. It was a _something_ nothing!" she insisted.

Willow stepped forward "Well, if it was a something nothing, I'm sure Giles would tell you, _right, Giles_?" she said, giving the Brit a pointed look.

A hesitant pause, and then, just before Giles could answer, Piper, Phoebe and Paige orbed in.

"I will never get used to seeing that," Xander commented, bringing in a little smile to Anya, Dawn, Buffy, Tara and Willow's faces, while Giles continued to look uncomfortable, Phae, irritated, and the aunts, nervous.

"Now what?" Phae said irritably.

"Well, now that we've introduced ourselves," Piper started. "We were wondering when you're moving back to San Francisco with us."

Phae snorted again. "Ex-_cuse_ me! What the hell makes you think that I am going to move in with people I don't know? What makes you think I don't want to stay here with people who love me? With people who _care_ about me? With people who have been looking after me ever since my grandmother died!" she practically yelled, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Easy there, girl," Piper began, but Phoebe cut her off.

"Honey, I know it's hard for you to accept, but you have to. There are things out there, demons, warlocks, who want your powers because you're the daughter of a Charmed One," the advice columnist said.

"No," Phae replied, shaking her head. "No. I don't care what the hell you say, but I am not moving to San Francisco. Especially not with you."

"Phae, maybe you should think about this," Giles said, moving towards the girl.

She whirled around to face him. "Oh, so now you don't want me here?"

Giles flushed. "I am not saying that, Phaedra, merely saying that it might be safer for you with your aunts than in Sunnydale."

Tears of rage and hurt sprang into her eyes, the emotions reflected on her delicate features. Without a word, she grabbed her bag and left the Magic Box.

There was a silent tension in the air.

"Okay. Who wants pizza?" Xander said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Dawn turned to look at Giles. "Why did you say that to her?" she demanded.

"Dawnie, I don't think he meant it that way," Buffy said, moving to put a hand on her little sister's shoulder.

Dawn shrugged her hand off and faced Buffy. "Then would you care to explain to me what exactly he meant?"

Willow replied in Buffy's defense. "I think he meant that it's safer for her with her aunts than here."

"You know, we are still standing here," Paige said, waving to get their attention.

Buffy turned to face them. "I think you should come back later," she said flatly.

"We think so too, don't we, Piper, Paige?" Phoebe said, sending a pointed look in their direction.

Piper nodded. "Maybe we'll come back when she cools down."

"I'll let you know," Giles told them kindly. "Would you like a cup of tea before you leave?"

Piper shook her head. "Our kids are waiting for us. Maybe another time."

With that, the three witches orbed out, leaving the Scooby Gang silent.

"Now what?" Xander asked.

**A/N: Woo-hoo! Four pages! I know the ending's kinda lame, so please accept my heartfelt apologies and homemade brownies as a peace offering!**


	10. Paige's Talk

**Chapter 10**

It had been almost a week since Phae had her visit from her aunts, and she was more than happy that she hadn't heard from them. She stopped outside her door and rummaged around in her bag for the keys.

"Ugh. Damn," she swore silently. "I left my keys inside."

Rolling her eyes, she glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then raised a hand and held it in front of the door, willing it to open. After a moment or two, she heard a click and, with a triumphant smile, Phae walked into her house….

…and froze instantly. "What the hell!"

Piper and Phoebe were standing in the hallway, a few boxes in front of them, talking. Paige came down the stairs, holding another box. All three of them turned to look at Phae.

"Hi, sweetie! We were wondering when you'd get home," Paige said chirpily.

A thunderous expression on her face, Phae stormed over to where her aunts were standing. Without a word, she waved a hand, and two of the boxes flew up the stairs, coming to a halt at the top as Piper froze it.

"Just what do you think you're doing, young lady?" Piper asked, folding her arms.

Phae mimicked the movement. "I should be asking you the same thing. I mean, I come into _my_ house and see all of _my_ things in boxes and you're asking _me_ what _I'm _doing?" she asked indignantly.

"You have no idea how long it took us to pack all of these things, and we are not letting it go to waste."

"Well, actually, Piper, since Paige was orbing everything and all," Phoebe started, but Piper accidentally-on-purpose stepped on her foot. "Ow!"

"Sorry, Phoebs," Piper replied, not sounding sorry.

Phae glared at Piper. "If you think that by doing this you will make me change my mind, then you have no idea how mistaken you are."

"Oh, we're not making you change your mind," Piper replied. "We're making you go no matter what you want."

"Uh, Piper, maybe that wasn't the best thing to say," Phoebe informed her older sister as the new Halliwell gave them a death glare before whirling around and storming up the stairs to her room. The two younger sisters winced as they heard the door slam.

Piper sighed and sat down on the stairs, Phoebe sitting down beside her. Piper held her head in her hands, at a loss.

"Piper, I know it's hard for you and all, but maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I mean, it is her life. Shouldn't she be allowed to make her own decisions?" Paige asked, folding her arms. "I know how hard it is for her. I mean, I felt the same way when I found out that I was a witch."

"Paige, Phaedra knows she's a witch. She's known ever since birth!" Piper said, raising her head to look at her younger sister, the lost Halliwell witch.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to go see if I can talk some sense into her," she informed Phoebe.

Phoebe nodded. "I'll see if I can talk some sense into Piper."

"Hey, I heard that," came Piper's reply, sounding a little muffled as her head was in her hands once more.

This time Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Tell me again how many teenagers we have?" she said sarcastically, directing the question at Piper.

Paige gave a little smile and orbed out, reappearing in front of the closed door.

The half-Whitelighter knocked on the door. "Phaedra? Sweetie? It's your aunt Paige. Could I come in? I need to talk to you."

"Go away!" the younger witch screamed through the door.

Paige sighed and tried the doorknob. Locked. _Figures_, she thought. "Open up or I'm coming in."

"What're you gonna do, blow up my door?"

Closing her eyes, she orbed into the room. "No, I'll orb in."

Phae lifted her head from the pillow, waving a hand and telekinetically throwing another pillow at her aunt.

"Pillow," Paige said simply, directing the object back to the bed.

Phae sat up, glaring at Paige. "What do you want?" she asked scathingly, her voice trembling a little.

"I told you, I just want to talk."

Phae turned her face back to the pillow. "There's nothing to talk about. I don't have anything to say to you anymore."

Paige raised an eyebrow, surprised. Was she giving up already? She walked over and sat down on the girl's bed.

"Honey, believe me when I say that I know how you feel. When Prue die-decided to move to Thailand, I was called. Before that I had been living my life thinking that my adoptive parents were my real mom and dad, and that I was just a normal girl who was once a rebel and now wanted to make a difference in the world. Then I met Piper and Phoebe, and it took me a while to realize that I could make a difference in the world without being a social worker. So I became a full-time witch, part-time babysitter and worked temp jobs. And now we can make a difference again. In your world."

"That's just bull and you know it," Phae shot back weakly. "Get the hell out of my room."

"Not until you hear me out completely. The reason why we want you to move in with us is because we can take care of you. There are demons out there, demons with powers that your friends can't handle, but we can. We can help you, Phaedra, but only if you'll let us. We can look after you like you're our own daughter, which in a way you are. Honey, I promise we'll do all we can to make sure you never feel alone," Paige replied, putting a hand on Phae's back.

To her surprise, the young witch didn't resist. Instead, she sat up and looked at Paige, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want to leave. I have so many memories here. Like when I was little and me and Nana went to Disneyland and to parks and beaches and we went on holiday and when I met Dawn and the others and when I realized all my powers and…and…" she broke down.

Paige cautiously hugged her, and once again Phaedra didn't fight back. "It's okay, sweetie. We understand if you don't want to move right now, but for how long are you going to continue living alone?"

Phaedra pulled back. "I want to go, but I don't want to seem too enthusiastic about it. God, aunt Paige, you have no idea how much I want to go with you guys. I totally want to meet my cousins and see my mom's old room and what the house is like, and I would have agreed sooner but I couldn't. I didn't want to leave behind my friends. They're like my family, Aunt Paige, and I can't leave them behind."

Paige suppressed a smile, happy that Phae was finally opening up and calling her 'Aunt Paige'. "I know. But if you want to visit you know I can always orb you here. I would be more than happy to and you know it."

Phae nodded. "I know. Thanks. A lot. For everything. Especially helping me pack. I mean I have no idea how I would have done everything myself," she said, giving a little laugh that soon turned into a hiccup.

Paige grinned and orbed in a glass of water, handing it to Phae. "You're welcome. So. Are you ready to go down and tell the others that you're ready to move?"

Phaedra hesitated, then shook her head. "No. Could you tell them for me? I kinda want to tell Dawn and Willow and Buffy and Tara and the others. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is, honey. Come on, I'll orb you there."

Paige waved her hand and a swirl of blue and white light enveloped the young girl, sending her to The Magic Box. When the light cleared, she orbed herself downstairs, feeling happy at her accomplishment.


	11. Piper Cries

**Chapter 11**

"Whoa," Phae muttered as her molecules began re-arranging herself, and she prayed that nothing would go wrong. The orbs cleared, and the inside of the Magic Box came into view.

The gang sat at the tables, heavy volumes open in front of them. Phae cleared her throat, and everyone looked up. She smiled nervously as she went over to join them, plonking herself on the edge of a table.

"Hey, Phae," Willow chirped, the only one to say something. Everyone else closed their books or shifted them such that they were hidden from Phae's view.

"What're you guys doing?" the young witch asked suspiciously, having a vague feeling that they were discussing her.

"Oh, you know, research," Tara piped in.

"I need to go…Um…Count the money," Anya said, getting up with her book and going behind the counter.

Phae frowned and folded her arms. "What the hell is up? I came here to tell you something but I'm not going to do it unless you tell me what is going on."

Giles took off his glasses, proceeding to wipe them fervently. Buffy looked down uncertainly. Xander sighed.

"Okay that's it I'm telling her."

Phae raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Well, you see, the thing is, what we were doing before you came…"

"Oh for the love of God we were researching your aunts!" Dawn finished.

A look of surprise crossed Phae's face. "You were _what_! Why!" she demanded.

"That was partly my fault," Giles said. "You see, I wanted to check on something your aunts said."

"God, I can't believe you would do such a thing! Why would they lie to me?"

"Why are you taking their side all of a sudden?" Dawn asked, frowning.

"That's what I came here to tell you. I'm moving to San Francisco with them."

* * *

Paige orbed back to the stairs, where Phoebe was talking to Piper, who was crying. Concerned, the younger Halliwell witch ran over to her sisters. 

"Phoebe, what's wrong? Why's Piper crying?" She was a little shaken, having never seen Piper cry before.

"She's thinking about Prue. We were…talking about Phae and then we started remembering Prue and now…" she gestured to Piper.

Paige sat down beside her sister and put an arm around her, leaning softly against Piper. "It's okay. I got Phae to agree to move to San Francisco with us. It'll be like having Prue there again."

Wiping away her tears, Piper looked at her youngest sister. "You _what_! How?"

Paige smiled and straightened, looking at Piper. "I talked to her. I told her about how you guys discovered me and how I realized that I could help people in another way. And then she totally opened up. She told me that she wanted to agree sooner but she didn't want her friends to think that she was too eager to leave them. But then she agreed."

Phoebe was impressed. "Guess your old social worker days aren't that gone yet, huh?" she joked.

Paige's smile grew. "Thank you!"

"So where's Phae now?" Piper asked.

"Good point. Where is she?" Phoebe asked.

"She's at the Magic Box. She wanted to tell her friends first. Say, do you guys feel like you've seen that Giles person before?"

And thus began a new conversation, with the sisters trying to place where they'd seen Giles before.

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter, yeah. Sorry. It's sorta supposed to be that short. Sorry again! Don't skimp on the reviews, people! -wink-**


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